


Connor's Coffee

by notasalamander



Category: Terminator (Movies)
Genre: F/F, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:34:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 8,510
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23193277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notasalamander/pseuds/notasalamander
Summary: Terrible at talking to pretty girls, barista Grace barely says anything to constant coffee shop customer Dani. That's going to make dating her hard.
Relationships: Grace Harper/Dani Ramos
Comments: 47
Kudos: 170





	1. Chapter 1

“I’ll have a medium dark roast with a pump of vanilla.”

Grace pretended to press some buttons on the order screen, in order to look like she wasn’t a total creep for having memorized the order weeks ago. Dani came in at least three times a week and ordered the same drink every time, and now, Grace had the whole thing ready to go before Dani even reached the register.

“Anything else?”

Dani examined the three rows of neatly bundled cookies and selected a double chocolate chip. Grace quickly added this to the total. A large part of her roaring imagination half-hoped that each time she asked this, the response would be, “I’d like your number.”

She couldn’t help it. Dani was gorgeous, and her accent made Grace weak in the knees. The first few times they interacted, Grace could barely remember English words and had sputtered out some nonsensical syllables. Dani had laughed, and Grace had replayed the sound over and over in her head all day.

When Dani left, Grace leaned against the counter and sighed. Her moment was ruined almost immediately as her boss entered from the back room and rolled her eyes.

“Either ask her out or get over it.”

“Can’t you just let me pine in peace?”

“You’re getting sappy all over my cash register,” Sarah retorted. “Mop up the drool.”

Grace straightened. “I’m not drooling.”

“Well you sure as hell ain’t getting a date, either.”

Sarah picked up a rag and set about wiping down the small tables and seats. This was technically one of Grace’s duties, one she had never shirked, but Sarah didn’t know how to step back and let her employees do their job. If there was something to do, and she had a moment, she’d get it done. The woman never seemed to stop, and her special skill seemed to be finding new tasks. As soon as she finished cleaning, she set about organizing the snack display.

“She just comes in to get coffee, not to get hit on.”

“All I’m saying is that you can’t wait for her to make a move on you. You’re at work, and you have to be polite to everyone. If she’s not a dick—“

“She’s not.”

“Then she won’t think anything of you being nice to her when you got the name tag on.”

“I guess…” Grace grimaced, knowing Sarah was right but hating to admit it, mostly because Sarah would be insufferable afterward.

“Or just get over it and get back to work. I don’t know what I’m even paying you for anymore.”

Flipping Sarah the middle finger, Grace busied herself with organizing receipts.


	2. Chapter 2

At home, Grace tried to distract herself with some Netflix, but her usual selection of action movies just didn’t catch her attention. Sure, the explosions were loud and flashy enough to make her look and listen briefly, but the hollow plots couldn’t distract her mind. 

If Sarah was right, and dang it, she seemed to be, then the metaphorical tennis ball was in her court. She had to serve to get the game going, but she wasn’t very sporty, metaphorically. Literally, she was quite fit and took pleasure in beating the crap out of a speed bag.

She was just confusing herself with the metaphors anyway. Staring blankly at Bruce Willis being blown out of a building, she pondered what she should do next. The easiest option was doing nothing. It was safe, and the status quo would remain unchanged.

She supposed she could live with that. She already didn’t have a girlfriend, and letting this chance go by would let her remain single. 

But the other two options were equally terrifying. On the one hand, she could approach Dani and get rejected, which would hurt, and on the other, she could approach Dani and get accepted, which would be utterly terrifying. The more melodramatic portion of her mind wasn’t sure which was worse.

With a groan, she flopped back and stared at the ceiling. Her apartment had been built in the seventies, and the ceiling featured the retro swirl texture—she could follow a line for ages before losing track of it, and the practice was sort of meditative. This was effective enough to bring her anxious heart from a sprint down to a light jog. 

She was going to do it. She was going to say something the next time Dani came in that clarified her attraction, and that was that.

Except when Dani came into the shop two days later, all of Grace’s gusto died instantly, and her tongue tripped over teeth like a toddler who was just learning to stand up for the first time.

“Um.”

“Good morning,” Dani greeted, smiling and tucking her hair behind one ear. Her eyes were as bright as always, and her smile lit them up.

Say something clever, she commanded herself. “Order?”

“Oh, just a medium dark roast with a pump of vanilla.”

“Anything else?”

“Not today. Thank you.”

So much for relying on bravado to pull her through. She’d need a better plan because that smile was worth the effort. She had to try.

The next time Dani stopped in, Grace had a short monologue memorized. But then their eyes met, and all she could remember was that her name was how very gay she was. The cheesy words she’d written down days prior that were sure to win Dani’s heart went up in flames.

“Are you okay?” Dani leaned in closer, concern tugging the corners of her lips down into a faint frown.

“Yes,” Grace managed. Good, that was an actual English word. “Um.”

“You look a little pale. Do you need to sit down?”

“Fine.” She cleared her throat. “I mean, I’m fine. I was just, uh, thinking. Sorry. Can I get something started for you?”

Dani peered at her closely for a moment longer and then nodded. “Medium dark roast—“

“With a pump of vanilla,” Grace finished. “Anything else?”

“You remembered? Wow. You have to see so many people. Do you remember everyone’s?”

“No.” There was a suave, flirty way of explaining herself, but all Grace could think to add was, “You come in a lot.”

Dani sighed. “According to my brother, I come in too much. He reads one article about finances and now he thinks he’s Mr. Moneybags. Did you know, if I gave up coming in for coffee at least twice a week, I’d be able to buy a house by next year?”

This was the most Dani had ever said to her, and Grace knew she’d be picking through the details later, looking for any hint that Dani might be interested.

“I didn’t know that.”

“It’s bullcrap, but he gets excited.” She waved a hand. “Every week, a new hobby. By next month, he’ll know exactly how to rewire our apartment to save on electricity bills.”

She shared an apartment with her brother. This was good to know, probably. Was she being stalker-ish? She couldn’t be, since Dani was just offering up the information without prompting.

“He seems nice.”

“I love him,” Dani replied. “Crazy schemes and all. Do you have any siblings?”

“A half-sister, a lot younger than me.” She wasn’t close to her sister by any stretch of the imagination, but she suddenly wished she had more to say.

“Then you get what I mean.”

Not particularly, but Grace nodded anyway.

She didn’t want the conversation to end, but she’d completed the order and all that was left was to hand Dani the to-go cup. Not wanting to seem weird, she only hesitated half a second before offering the coffee up. Their fingers brushed as Dani took the cup from her, and Grace thought her cheeks would set off the sprinklers.

She’d made it through a conversation without dying or imploding, which Sarah teased her about as “magnificent progress.” At this rate, she’d maybe be able to flirt by the time Dani saved up the money for a house by foregoing her coffees.

She braced her head in her hands and hoped for a miracle.


	3. Chapter 3

Down the block from Connor’s Coffee stood HandiWrench, advertised as Auto Work At It’s Best. The building was squat and long, featuring three garage bays, all of which were busy with activity. In the middle bay, Dani leaned under the hood of a classic Mustang. A rag hung from her back pocket, and she used it to wipe the grease from her hands when she extricated herself.

“It’s looking really good, Marco,” she complimented. He was new to the team, with more anxiety than good sense. The day he gained some self confidence was the day he’d really become a great mechanic. “Are you ready for me to ring Ms. Montez?”

“You’re sure it’s good?”

“Positive.” She put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “I wouldn’t lie to you.”

“Yeah, I know.” He grinned back at her. His eyes dipped down to her chest, and internally, she groaned. “So, I was wondering—“

“I should go call so she can come for the pick up before close.”

She left before he could do much more than stutter after her. He was sweet, but she wasn’t interested. This was his second attempt at asking her on a date, and she was trying her hardest to avoid hurting his feelings. If worst came to worst, she would remind him that she was his supervisor and she really couldn’t ethically pursue anything.

She’d grown up with Diego constantly mooning over—and being rejected by—pretty girls, and she’d lived through his heartbreak too many times not to feel some sort of compassion for Marco.

Entering the front office, she wiped her hands once more for good measure and sat down at her computer. She had several parts to order by the end of the day, customers to call, and bills to pay. Concentrating, however, was difficult.

Instead of work, her mind meandered to the cute barista at the coffee shop down the street. The tall blonde had great arms and dazzling blue eyes, plus it was sort of adorable to hear her try to construct a proper sentence. Dani wasn’t sure if this was a speech impediment or some sort of social anxiety, but she was nonetheless endeared.

Part of her wondered if the blonde would be interested in her, but she wrote that off as fantasy. After all, it was only part of customer service to smile and be polite, even if inwardly she wanted the customer to leave. She’d dealt with plenty of clients of her own that made her cheeks hurt from the falsity of her grin.

Surely, Dani wasn’t that sort of customer. At least, she hoped she wasn’t.

Thankfully, her lunch break came quickly, and she excused herself for the hour. Instead of eating at her desk as she usually would, she headed down to Connor’s Coffee for a drink and some reconnaissance. She was going to figure out whether this barista Grace was bearing her presence because of her job duties or honestly pleased to see her.

She entered and found much to her disappointment that Grace was not behind the register. Instead, the shop’s surly owner stood behind the counter, eyeing her curiously. Customer service skills didn’t seem important to this woman, which must have been a pro of owning her own business.

“What would you like?”

“Um,” Dani hedged. She glanced around, but Grace was nowhere in sight. “A medium dark roast with a pump of vanilla.”

“She’s not here today.”

“What?” Dani was incredibly glad she didn’t blush easily.

“Grace. She’s out sick.”

Playing dumb, Dani shook her head. “You mean the other barista?”

Sarah stared at her with a slight frown and arched brows. “Uh-huh.”

“I mean, I hope she feels better. If that’s who you mean.”

“Four bucks.”

Dani pulled out her wallet and paid. She had planned to eat her lunch at the shop, but instead, she took her drink and returned to work to eat at her desk.


	4. Chapter 4

Grace returned bright and early on Thursday morning, still feeling a little under the weather but in good enough shape to slap on a customer service smile and bear through the worst of her stuffy nose. Being at work while snotty wasn’t the best decision, but bills were coming at the end of the month, and she needed those hours.

Sarah was already there when she arrived, and she received a stern once over before being waved through to her post at the cash register. Before opening, she needed to update the specials menu to reflect the onset of fall and pumpkin spice fever. Grace preferred winter with peppermint everywhere, but she wasn’t going to look down on everyone who rushed in for a chai latte.

“How were things yesterday without me?”

“Your little girlfriend was in looking for you.”

“My…” Grace blushed bright red and scowled. “You know that’s not true.”

“Oh, I know. And it’ll never be at this rate.”

“Can we just forget it? I’ll try to not, like, drool on the register or whatever you think is going to happen, and you can withhold your comments, okay? I don’t feel good enough for all this today.”

“Do you need another day off?”

Grace shook her head. “I’ll be fine. I just don’t need that right now, that’s all.”

“Yeah, sure. I’m going in back to deal with some knuckleheads. They can offer as much as they want. I ain’t selling.”

As Sarah disappeared into the rear office, Grace returned her attention to the chalkboard with the specials. She erased the previous ‘Sunshine Mellow’ and wrote ‘Pumpkin Spice’ in her neatest handwriting. Feeling a little artistic, she doodled what could pass for a pumpkin near the bottom, complete with a leafy vine.

Setting it back up, she stood at attention and awaited the first customer of the day. She didn’t have to wait long; the early morning rush hit within half an hour of open, and pumpkin spice everything was as big a hit as it was every year. When she got home later, she was going to reek of the stuff. The first day of reeking wasn’t horrible; the rest of the season would be pure misery.

At the tail end of the madness, Grace noticed a certain short brunette enter. They made brief eye contact with one another, and Grace nearly spilled incredibly hot coffee on the back of her hand. She course-corrected in time and poured the beverage into its cup without injury.

Dani reached the register and smiled. “Are you feeling better, then?”

“Me?”

“You.”

Grace hesitated. “Um, yeah, much.”

“Your boss mentioned that’s why you were out.”

“Oh.” Feeling much less weird about it, Grace relaxed. “Just a bad head cold, but I didn’t want to sneeze in everyone’s coffees.”

“We appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome.”

And awkward moment passed, but Dani forged onward. “So, your pumpkin spice any good?”

“People seem to like it.”

“Do you?”

Grace’s imagination spurred into action, wondering if Dani would maybe ask her out to coffee, where they could share a pumpkin spice drink.

“Uh, yeah, it’s pretty good.”

“Should I try it?”

Dani was stepping into unfamiliar territory, and Grace scrambled to find a good answer. “I mean, if you like pumpkin spice and you like our coffee, I think they go well combined.”

Sarah would kick her for not pushing the slightly more expensive drink a little harder. Under normal circumstances, she would have, but Dani kept her off balance in a not-unpleasant way.

“Okay, then. Let’s do it.” Dani rattled off her order, and Grace had to concentrate to not simply plug in her usual.

There were still a few more customers waiting for her attention, so she couldn’t spare more than a few moments with Dani. As disappointed as she was, Grace committed herself to her job and tried to push the interaction from her mind.

Finally, the rush drew to a close, and Sarah returned, looking much more cheerful. She checked her watch and tapped Grace’s shoulder.

“Take a break, kid.”

“Good call?”

“Have you ever gotten to call a bunch of assholes out on their assholery? Best feeling in the world.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” Grace replied. “Also, it’s not really time for my break. I’m good for another--”

“Take it now,” Sarah interrupted. “While I’m feeling friendly enough for customers.”

“Okay…” Grace washed her hands at the sink and turned to face the room. Her heart all but stopped when she spotted Dani seated near the front window. She turned slightly to Sarah and hissed, “You’re doing this on purpose.”

Sarah merely flashed a Cheshire grin and waggled her fingers. “Go on, kid.”

Summoning as much courage as she could manage, Grace moved around the bar. Baby steps, she told herself. For a second or two, she pretended to browse the baked goods and then feigned surprise at seeing Dani still there.

“Oh, hey. Don’t have to go rushing off to work?”

“Not today.”

Grace glanced at Sarah, who wagged her fingers more fervently. “Cool.”

“It’s nice to have a day off.”

“Do you… Um… Could I…?”

“Would you maybe want to sit down? I don’t know if you know this, but you’re really tall, and my neck is getting a little sore.” 

Relief flooded her, and she sat down promptly. “Sorry. I know I’m a bit of a giraffe.”

“They’re my favorite animal.”

Was this flirting? Grace couldn’t be sure, so she defaulted to safe mode. “I like dogs myself.”

“Oh! Do you have any?”

She shook her head. “I have a pretty small apartment, and the lease doesn’t allow animals.”

“I have one. Want to see a picture?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Dani dug her phone out and showed Grace the save screen, which was a picture of Dani, a dark-haired young man, and a dog. “That’s Diego, my brother, and Taco is the dog.”

“I like your dog.”

Dani beamed. “He’s pretty smart. I’m working on teaching him to play dead. I know he knows what I want, but he’s really stubborn. He only does tricks when he wants to do them, which makes training harder than it needs to be.”

“I bet. I had a dalmatian when I was a kid, and I had to work crazy hard to even teach her to sit.”

“Have any tips?”

“Is he food motivated?”

“Yes, but if he doesn’t get rewarded when he thinks he should be rewarded, then he stops doing everything. And if I give him a treat when he wants it, then there’s no reason for him to do anything more.”

“Oh.” Grace scratched the back of her neck. “Does he ever just do the play dead behavior? Like lay out the way you want?”

Dani’s eyes lit up. “Yes. It’s how I got the idea to teach him.”

“Then wait for him to do it, then say the word or sound you want him to associate with the behavior and give him the treat. Then he’ll put two and two together without you having to drag him through the steps.”

“I’ll definitely try that!” Dani reached across the table to take her hand.

Grace was lightheaded at the contact. She tried to remain still, sure that any motion would untether her from the ground and let her float up to the ceiling. “Glad to help.”

“Can I ask you something?”

“Yes.”

“I watched you serve everyone this morning. You’re fairly chatty with customers.”

“Uh…”

“But you’ve don’t really talk to me all that much when I come in. I mean, today is different, obviously.”

“Oh.”

“Did I offend you?”

“No, that’s not it at all!” Grace leaned in, trying not to look too desperate or intense. “I guess I just don’t know what to say.” The thought struck her suddenly: “Did you want me to talk to you?”

Dani’s expression was inscrutable for a long moment. “You have some pretty good things to say.”

Was that a yes? Grace nibbled on her lower lip and let her indecision ruin the moment. “My break is almost over.”

“I should go anyway.” Dani shook her empty cup. “It was a decent cup of coffee, but I think I prefer my vanilla. Still, it’s nice to try something new sometimes.”

Feeling impulsive, Grace stuck her hand out. “I’m Grace.”

Dani laughed and gestured to her name tag. “I know.”

“Grace Harper,” she clarified.

“Dani Ramos,” Dani replied, tossing her cup away. As she left, the bell over the door dingled, and Grace realized she’d been staring.


	5. Chapter 5

Dani hummed under her breath as she picked up dinner, takeout from a Vietnamese restaurant a few blocks from home. Diego adored their beef pho, and she knew he’d be excited for the treat that evening. She felt unusually upbeat as she slid the key into the lock and quickly shifted a foot into the gap where the door left the jamb.

Taco was fast but not fast enough to escape. He whined, but she merely leaned down to rub his ears in greeting. He followed her to the kitchen where she set the takeout bag down. At another yip from him, she scooped some dog food into his bowl and refreshed his water.

“You treat that dog better than you treat me,” Diego said, dragging his fingers through his raggedy bedhead. Even tousled, he cared about his appearance, and he wouldn’t normally show his face without going through his facial routine. The smell of pho must have lured him into polite company.

“Yeah? Did I get the dog his favorite food?”

His eyes lit up. “I thought I smelled pho!”

“What, no thank you?”

“Oh, thank you, honored sister.” He clapped his hands together and bowed several times. “I’ll dedicate my next Insta to you.”

“Is that what you’ve been doing all day?”

He shook his head, grinning. “Sleeping, mostly. But I have a long shift tonight, so…”

“Diego, I don’t judge you.” She opened the bag and rescued the steaming hot soup container, which she promptly slid his way. He fetched a spoon for both of them. “Are the night shifts going well?”

“Yeah, they’re okay.” He sighed his approval on the first bite of noodle soup. “It’ll be great later, when I can take a night off and do some open mics.”

She had to admit that he was a pretty great performer, and his crooning tunes garnered quite a bit of positive attention. The change to a nocturnal lifestyle suited him, but she would miss having him around during the day. At least there was some crossover, since she’d get home before he left for work, and he’d get home as she was getting up for her job. It wouldn’t replace the movie nights spent on the couch, throwing popcorn at each other and laughing at the terrible romantic comedies available on Netflix, but it was something.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Taco settling down on the floor, his head down. It wasn’t exactly the right position for playing dead, but she was dying to try the new trick. A bag of bread sat within reach, and she quickly broke a piece off. Praising Taco for playing dead, she offered him the piece, which he wolfed down eagerly.

“What’s that about? He didn’t even do it.”

“I talked to someone today, and she told me about doing training this way. I just wanted to try it.”

“Who?”

“Just… She’s the barista at the coffee place near Handi.”

He thought for a moment. “Really tall? Really pale? Really--”

“Yes.”

“Dani, did you know you have a type?”

Her eyes widened. “I do not.”

“Who was that girl in high school, the one on the soccer team?”

She scowled. “Nobody.”

“So, I was dragged to nobody’s games every weekend, even when the team traveled out of town? I had to listen to you talk about nobody all the dang time?” He laughed at her growing frown. “You sure liked nobody a whole lot.”

She hated that he had a point. She’d never been explicit with him regarding her sexuality, but they had always been supportive of one another, especially after the passing of their father three years prior. She’d never brought a date over for him to meet, but she knew he knew she liked women.

“Okay, so maybe I think she’s sort of attractive.”

He slurped more noodles down and raised his eyebrows. “Tell me more, dork.”

“I don’t know a lot about her yet. I just sort of wanted to talk to her, so I got her to talk about dog training. She’s physically pretty, but you know I don’t care about that.”

“But it helps,” he teased.

She waved a hand dismissively. “Some of us think with our brains, not our sex organs, Diego.”

“My dick doesn’t have eyes.”

“I really do not want to hear about your dick.”

“You brought it up.”

She rolled her eyes. “Anyway. She seems interesting, and I’m curious about her. It doesn’t have to mean anything.”

“Well, considering you haven’t talked about literally anyone since high school, it sort of does mean something, doesn’t it?”

He had a point. “Maybe. But it can’t until I figure out if she’s even available.”

“Want me to do some super snooping for you?”

“Please, no.” That sort of thing worked when they were kids, but she was an adult. Diego was the right age to be an adult, but she had her doubts about his maturity. “I’ll handle this like a grown up individual.”

“You don’t even want to Facebook creep?”

“I really shouldn’t. Isn’t that… well, creepy?” He waited patiently as her resolve crumbled. “Okay, but she can’t know we’re doing this, right?”

“Unless we accidentally like something on her page, she shouldn’t have any idea.”

“Just a few minutes, okay? Just to see if she’s single.”

He lifted his hands. “I’ll get you set up before I go to work. Then, you do what you gotta do.”

She kissed his cheek as she moved to the sink to wash their few dishes. “Thank you, Diego.”

Later, after he was long gone and she’d worked up the nerve, she settled down at his laptop and examined the page he’d left up for her. Grace Harper had a profile picture of the blonde leaning against a classic car, arms folded and expression a mixture of pride and happiness. The picture focused more on Grace than the car, so Dani couldn’t get a good idea of the make and model, but her love for the classics got her good and curious.

Scrolling down, she found a few posts about Sarah’s Coffee, a few pictures of carpentry projects, and little else. Grace probably had some privacy settings in place that restricted her access, which Dani thought was a smart idea. When she shifted to the information tabs, she learned that Grace’s birthday was in May, that she was single, and that she spoke English. This wasn’t exactly the bountiful harvest that Dani expected, but it was something.

She stared at the screen a moment longer before closing the computer. Grace was single. If she was queer, then there was nothing to suggest so on her profile. Then again, Dani didn’t exactly wear her sexuality on her sleeve, digitally or metaphorically. It couldn’t hurt to ask Grace to do something outside of the coffee shop. She’d choose something that friends might do, rather than something that just screamed “date” like dinner and a movie.

A walk in the park with Taco would have to do.


	6. Chapter 6

“Well?”

Grace stared at Dani, her heart pounding much too hard to be physically possible. Her palms were sweating, too, and her mouth was suddenly suffering from drought. This wasn’t exactly how her imagination dictated the moment, but here was Dani, asking her to do something outside the coffee shop.

“I…” Say yes, her heart demanded. But what would they talk about? Would she make a fool of herself? She’d probably ruin things before they even had a chance to start anything at all. She was safe behind the register since they had set roles--Dani asked for coffee, Grace provided coffee. “Um…”

Dani’s face fell, and Grace’s gut got sucked into a black hole. She lifted a hand.

“Yes, okay,” she said, a plaintive tone pervading her words. She didn’t want to make Dani feel bad. Quite the opposite really.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“I’m just awkward,” Grace blurted.

Dani laughed and braced herself against the counter. “You’re not that bad.”

“You haven’t seen me at my worst.”

“You don’t think I could take it?” Dani cocked an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge?”

This was flirtation. It had to be. Grace swallowed hard. “Um, yes. Sure.”

“Then you’ll meet me tomorrow at three?”

“Yes.”

Dani eased back and grinned. “See you then. And try not to get cold feet.”

Finding nothing coherent to reply with, Grace simply waved goodbye. Then, with nobody in line, she escaped to the bathroom, where she could all but lose her mind in peace. She was going out with literally the prettiest girl she’d ever met.

Was it a date, though? She stared at herself in the mirror and made a decision: even if it wasn’t a date, she’d treat it as one. She’d dress nice, be a gentleman, the whole nine yards.

Her bravado lasted longer than she expected, and she made it to the next afternoon with only minimal panic. After working the morning shift, she made it home with enough time to shower afresh, style her hair, and pull on clean jeans and a button-down plaid shirt. She completed the look with a pair of boots and felt well armored.

Slipping her wallet and keys into her pocket, she hurried on to the park. She was a few minutes late, but nothing that an apology couldn’t fix. Spotting Dani from down the block, she squelched an audible gasp. The brunette wasn’t wearing anything special, but just the sight of her smiling face was enough to cow Grace.

“I’m sorry!”

Dani laughed and gestured to the dog at her feet. “Meet Taco.”

Grace knelt down and let the friendly animal sniff her fingers before rubbing under his chin. His tail beat the ground with heavy thuds, and she was happy to find he liked her.

“Nice to meet you Taco.”

“Ready to go?”

Grace nodded, standing and tucking her hands into her back pockets. They took a leisurely pace around the walking path that circled the large park, and Grace took in the beautiful sight of the color-changing leaves. Although she preferred spring to fall, she couldn’t deny she appreciated this season as well.

“Did you work this morning?”

This was a safe topic, and Grace was glad she had a ready answer. “Pretty typical, actually. Did you work?”

“Yes, just a half day.”

“What do you do?”

This launched Dani into an enthusiastic run-down of being a mechanic-turned-administrator, which led to an explanation of working on cars with her dad when she was younger and then pursuing auto work as a teenager. Other girls her age were still interested in school and academics, but she knew exactly what she wanted, and it wasn’t in the classroom.

“If you love cars, why’d you go to administrative work?”

Dani paused for a moment as Taco tugged on his leash to sniff at a tree just off the path. “The pay was better.”

There seemed to be something else there, but Grace didn’t think she qualified as someone close enough to ask further. “At least you’re still around the cars, right?”

“Right.” Dani laughed, pulling on the leash gently to tell Taco to wrap it up. He lifted a leg, peed on the tree, and happily trotted forward. “And I still work on my own car. It’s nothing fancy, but I bought it with my own money a few years ago.”

“I inherited my car from my dad. He was a nut for the classics. When he passed away, he left me his collection.”

“How many?”

“He had about ten, but I only kept his favorite. They needed a lot of upkeep, and I wasn’t really in a good spot to take care of them right after he died.”

“Which was his favorite?”

“It’s an Alfa Romeo.”

“Convertible?”

“Hardtop.”

Dani sighed. “That sounds great. Someday, I’d like to own a classic myself.”

Grace cleared her throat, anxiety tightening the air from her lungs. “Would you want to see it? I mean, obviously not right now, but sometime?”

“Could I?” Dani’s eyes seemed to light up even brighter, which Grace didn’t think was possible.

“Yeah, anytime.”

“If you ever need work done on it--”

“I know who to call.”

“Exactly.”

Taco darted after a squirrel, jerking Dani suddenly across the path and into the grass. Grace jogged after but picked up her pace as soon as she saw Dani tumble to the ground, Taco’s leash flapping in the wind.

She dropped to Grace’s side, easing her up. “Are you okay?”

“He’s stronger than he looks.” Dani tried to peer at her elbow with limited success.

Grace noted the ripped sleeve, the green grass stains, and speckles of blood. “Will you be okay while I go get him?”

“Yes.”

Running after an excited dog didn’t seem like the smartest idea, so Grace walked after Taco’s bounding form, calling his name and whistling. He was very distracted, and she could see why he might be difficult to train. His hyper-focus on what he wanted could definitely get in the way of teaching him new behaviors.

She finally caught up to him as he jumped fruitlessly up the trunk of a tree. The squirrel sat on a branch, chittering and whipping its tail up and down. Snagging Taco’s leash, Grace took a moment to catch her breath before scolding the naughty dog. He didn’t even look the slightest bit contrite.

“Taco, c’mon, I’m trying to make a good impression with your human.”

He growled up at the squirrel, ignoring her entirely. She ended up having to drag him the first twenty feet from the tree before he turned about and pranced back toward Dani, as if nothing had happened.

“Got him.”

Dani was still seated when they approached, but she got up quickly, a bit wobbly on her feet. “Taco! Bad dog!”

“Does your arm hurt?”

“Stings, but it’s not bad.”

Grace shook her head. “We should still get it cleaned up.”

“I’m fine.”

“Please.”

“Fine.”

Grace let out a sigh of relief. “I live maybe four blocks from here. Do you live closer?”

“Are you trying to get into my house?”

A moment away from quickly defending her chivalry, Grace noted the grin on Dani’s lips. “I was, yes, but I figured it would be easier to case the joint if you showed me.”

“I’m farther away.”

“So, my place?” Grace’s voice died suddenly. She couldn’t remember if she’d cleaned up or if there were underpants strewn about or dishes in the sink or--

“Will it be okay to bring Taco in?”

“Does he bark a lot?”

“Not unless he really wants to be a butt hole.”

“Then we should be okay for a few minutes. It shouldn’t take long to fix you up.” Grace gestured forward. “Is that okay?”

Dani let her lead the way. “That’s perfect.”


	7. Chapter 7

As they approached her front door, Grace did her best to look nonchalant and relaxed, although she was certain she probably sported a pained expression as a result. She slipped her key into the lock and hesitated.

“So, no judgment, right?”

Dani smiled. “None. This isn’t judgment day. We can schedule that a few weeks out, if you’d like.” 

Grace pushed the door open and gestured for Dani to enter ahead of her. “Welcome, I guess, to my place. I’ll go grab the first aid kit.”

She hurried to the bathroom where she rooted about under the sink. She could hear Dani’s slow footsteps around the apartment, but she tried to keep from focusing too much on having such a pretty girl so close to her bedroom. They were not doing that, even though just the sight of Dani’s smile made her heart race way too fast to be physically possible.

Finding the kit, she stood too quickly and balanced against the sink until her tunneling vision resolved itself. This gave her a moment to assess her appearance; despite being a little wind whipped, her hair was still pretty much suitable for public consumption, and the light make up had held up decently well.

“Did you need help looking?”

Dani’s voice drew Grace from the bathroom. “Oh, no, sorry. I stood up a little too fast. Just had to wait it out.”

“I like your apartment. Very you, I think.”

“How so?”

Dani pointed to the crocheted blanket tossed neatly over the back of her couch. Each square featured a colorful flower, and the flowers repeated in a measured pattern. “Like that there. It’s sort of soft but also orderly. Sort of unexpected but also totally normal.”

“That’s what you think of me, huh?”

“Am I wrong?”

Grace focused on wiping Dani’s grazed skin clean, deciding that she didn’t mind the short list of her characteristics. “I guess that’s accurate. I like things in order. Planned.”

“My brother says I’m a little too impulsive sometimes.”

Chancing a look up into Dani’s eyes, Grace found humor within them. “Maybe you can help me be a little more spontaneous.”

“I did ask you out, didn’t I?”

“I spent too long trying to figure out what I was going to say to you,” Grace admitted, flushing. “I needed a bunch of options, all rehearsed.”

“If it makes you feel better, you make me nervous, too.”

Something fluttered in Grace’s stomach, and she placed a bandage with trembling fingers. “I make you… nervous?”

“Not in a bad way.” Dani placed a hand on her shoulder. “I just think you’re really pretty, and tall.”

This evoked a snort of laughter. “Okay, yes, I’m taller than you. I’m taller than like everyone.” She hoped Dani didn’t notice the subtle side-step of the compliment.

“I mean it.”

They locked gazes for several significant seconds, and Grace found herself leaning in slowly, eyes lowering to Dani’s lips. They were so close together, and they could actually kiss, if she wasn’t misreading the situation. She could almost feel Dani’s breath on her mouth.

Taco barked, scrambling at the nearest window to announce the presence of another dog down on the street. Grace jerked back, throat tight. Dani hurried to grab Taco’s collar, apologizing for the noise.

“I hope this won’t get you in trouble.”

“Oh, no, it’s probably fine.” Grace waved a hand, trying her hardest to seem nonplussed. “We can head back outside, though. I think you’re all fixed up.”

“Thank you, Doc.”

Grace followed Dani out into the hallway and back out onto the street. They returned to the park, a comfortable silence lulling between them. Grace thought through a few possible things to say, but nothing seemed important enough to speak aloud. Instead, she tucked her hands in her pockets and looked on ahead, wondering if Dani was having a decent time despite the mild injury.

“Ice cream?”

“What?” Grace turned slightly, looking in the direction Dani pointed. There was a street vendor surrounded by children, loud and bumping about.

“Want some?” Dani took her hand to drag her along.

They were touching. Grace stared at their hands as she was tugged over, hoping her hands weren’t sweaty or clammy or otherwise untenable. As they approached, she expected Dani to release her grip, but she was surprised when they came to a halt, hands still linked.

“Favorite flavor?”

“Vanilla.”

Dani laughed. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”

“What would you have?”

“Hm. Let’s see, what’s normal yet surprising? Rocky Road?”

Grace shook her head. “I’ve never tried that.”

“Well, I doubt we’ll find any here, but you should try it sometime.” Dani nudged her. “What’s my favorite?”

Sorting through their total interactions, Grace guessed, “Vanilla, right?”

“How’d you know?”

“Your coffee. You always want a pump of vanilla. I’d guess that you like vanilla ice cream with toppings to spice it up.”

“Wow,” Dani murmured. “You’re really perceptive, aren’t you?”

Grace flushed with pleasure. “I try to notice things.”

“I’m going to make it hard on you, just so you know. I’m closing this open book.” Dani gestured to her face.

“Please don’t.” Grace squeezed their joint hands. “I like your face the way it is.”

Dani sighed. “Well, fine, since you asked so nicely.”

“My treat.” Grace grabbed her wallet as Dani ordered for both of them. Their time together was turning out a bit like a sundae, and this ice cream was the cherry on top.


	8. Chapter 8

“Well, don’t you look like the canary that ate the cat.”

Grace shot Sarah a stern look. “I don’t kiss and tell.”

“So, you kissed? Juicy.”

The older woman leaned against the wall, her arms folded over her chest and her mouth quirked in a cocky smirk. Grace sputtered, nearly dropping the glassware she was washing in the sink. Thankfully, she caught the slippery glass before it bounced against the basin and shattered. She pointed a finger at her employer and scowled.

“You do that on purpose.”

“Good luck proving that in a court of law.”

Grace rolled her eyes and resumed scrubbing. “And for your information, no, we did not kiss. We hugged.”

“Well, aren’t you a gentleman.” Sarah paused and added, “You have kissed someone before, haven’t you?”

“I don’t see how that’s your business,” Grace snapped, cheeks flushed anew. “I had a boyfriend in high school.”

“Full of surprises, huh?”

Grace shrugged. “He liked me.”

“And you liked him?”

“I didn’t dislike him,” she said as she turned the water off and dried her hands on a cloth. “Why are we even talking about this?”

Sarah lifted her hands and retreated to the back room. “You’re right, kid. You don’t want to talk and I don’t care.”

After a moment, Grace followed after. “I didn’t say I didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Busy.” Sarah gestured to the bills piled atop her desk.

“You started this conversation. Finish it.”

“That’s the joy of being your boss.” Sarah pointed to the door. “Get back to work.”

Grace rolled her eyes. “Thanks.”

“Don’t overthink it. That’ll just make it bad. But then again, bad is part of the process. My first husband--”

“Okay, now it’s my turn to walk away.” Grace feigned plugging her ears and returned to the register.

During a slow moment, she checked her phone and couldn’t stop the smile at the sight of two texts from Dani. One was a picture of Taco, head cocked to the side and tongue dangling. The other was a cheerful good morning message that had no business making her so pleased. It was just a few words, after all, but her stomach was pleasantly churning.

She shot back a greeting, nibbling on her lower lip when she saw the typing dots appear to signal Dani’s immediate response.

Dani: That was fun yesterday.  
Dani: Wasn’t it?  
Grace: oh yes definitely  
Dani: Taco misses you already.

Grace hesitated, unsure if this would be too forward. Steeling herself, she pressed send despite her nerves.

Grace: i miss u already

When silence lapsed, Grace went through what felt like the five stages of grief in less than ten minutes. Just as she was bargaining with whatever higher power was listening that she’d never be that dumb again if Dani just texted back, her phone vibrated.

Dani: Stop making me blush at work!  
Dani: But yeah, I miss you, too.  
Dani: Want to hang out later?  
Dani: Unless that’s like too much?  
Dani: I’m not too good at this  
Dani: ?  
Grace: im off work @ 4  
Dani: So… 5? Your place or mine?  
Grace: ur bro home?  
Dani: Asleep, probably. He works nights.  
Dani: Is that okay?  
Grace: its fine. 5. ur place  
Dani: See you!  
Dani: :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: mention of prior suicidal ideation

As five neared, Dani hurried to make sure that her home looked presentable. Taco did his best to get in the way, likely sensing her anticipation and mirroring it. He wove between her legs, nearly tripping her on several occasions, and barked when she tried to scold him. At this rate, he would wake Diego, and then any chance at any sort of intimacy with Grace would be totally ruined.

“Please, Taco. Go lay down.” She pointed to the couch and clicked her tongue. He wagged his tail and tilted his head to one side. With an aggrieved sigh, she accepted her furry shadow to save time instead of arguing until Grace’s arrival.

The oven timer pinged and summoned her to the kitchen, where she slipped on a pair of oven mitts and removed a casserole dish of shepherd’s pie. It was a typical staple of their household, since it was hearty and saved well for the coming few days of leftover lunches, but Dani knew she made an excellent version of it. So, she felt as though she were balancing not trying too hard to impress Grace with subtly trying very hard.

Finally, at a minute to five, a knock sounded on the door, and Dani hurried to let her guest inside. She straightened her blouse, took a deep breath, and opened the door. A moment later, she was glad to have sucked in air just before because the sight of Grace made it hard to breathe; the tall blonde wore skin-tight gray jeans with a light blue tank top. The tank top was covered by a checker-patterned button-up, which was buttoned halfway up. Her sleeves were rolled to reveal toned arms.

“Hey.” Grace held out a small bunch of flowers. “These are for you.”

“They’re beautiful.” Dani took them gratefully and sniffed the closest bloom. She couldn’t identify the flowers, but they were indeed nice to look at. 

“I also brought a bottle of wine.” Grace blushed. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like.”

“This is great, thank you.” She stepped back and gestured for Grace to step inside. “I made some dinner, and I thought maybe we could watch a movie, unless that’s really lame?”

“Oh, definitely not lame. Don’t get me wrong, I do like going out and all that. But like, a night in is perfect.” Grace hesitated. “I just want to check, but my anxiety is telling me this is just hanging out and I’m misinterpreting everything. Is this a date?”

Dani took her hand and squeezed. “I was hoping it was, but if that makes you uncomfortable—”

“Oh, no.” Grace nearly tripped over herself to step forward. “That’s what I was hoping.”

They shared a few seconds of simply smiling at each other before Dani remembered dinner, which was rapidly cooling a dozen or so feet behind them. She took the bottle of wine to the counter and popped the cork. Grace located the glasses, and Dani poured a generous helping for each of them before serving out the pie onto two plates. At the kitchen table, they sat, and Dani clasped her hands to pray.

“Thank you for this good food and even better company, Lord. Amen.”

She noticed that Grace seemed a little out of place when she unbowed her head, but Grace just smiled weakly and explained that although she’d been raised religious, her mother hadn’t been altogether welcoming of her sexuality.

“The two are sort of intertwined for me,” she said quietly. “I… It’s easier to blame religion than to accept that my mom’s an asshole.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. You definitely shouldn’t feel bad about saying grace. I mean, I know you wouldn’t do it if it didn’t mean something to you.”

Dani nodded and took a bite. “Do you still talk to your mom?”

“Yes. I always feel worse after, but she’s my parent. I think I’d feel worse if I didn’t talk to her, and then there’s the whole extended family. It’s complicated.”

“My papi took a little while to come around. He was very Catholic, but I think he realized that if God is perfect, and God created me, then the way I am can’t have been a mistake. I’m not saying everyone will eventually understand, but she might?”

“I’ve given up hope on that. She really knew what she wanted from me as a daughter, and I’m basically none of it. And on top of that, I’m the reason my parents got divorced. Dad was okay with me being me, and she wasn’t. I lived with him, but I still had to visit all the time.”

“You do know you weren’t the reason, right?”

Grace shrugged. “I mean, I’ve heard that from a lot of people, but it’s hard not to think about it that way. I was still pretty young when it happened, and that’s a lot of emotional drama to take on. I tried really hard for a while to be what she wanted. I had my hair grown out, and I was wearing dresses and all that, but it just… It was killing me, or making me want to kill myself.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

“Me, too.” Grace shook her head. “This isn’t the best dinner talk, is it? Sorry if you lost your appetite.”

“I like knowing about you,” Dani replied. “Even if it’s not the best.”

“Thanks. The pie is amazing, by the way.”

Dani beamed. “Thank you! I didn’t always love cooking, but it’s grown on me.”

“Does your brother cook as well?”

“Yes, but since we aren’t usually awake at the same time, it’s just useful for both of us to cook off and on. It works out. I love taking his cold enchiladas to work.”

“I’m sort of jealous of your relationship with him. I’m not that close to my sister.”

“You said she was your half-sister, right?”

“My mom remarried.”

“Is that why you’re not close? Not the remarriage, but her being in your mom’s home?”

“Sort of? But not the way you think. My sister is really girly, and I resented her for a long time because it was really clear that our mom loved her. It wasn’t her fault that my mom and I don’t get along, but it was just painful to see that it’s not my mom that’s broken.”

There was a lot there to unpack, but Dani sensed they were treading close to a sensitive issue. “Well, good thing you’re not broken, either. I know one conversation isn’t going to change your mind, so I’m going to change the subject, okay? I want to know about you, but I also don’t want to push you. If you want to talk, I want to listen. Until then, did you see the latest episode of Killing Eve?”

Grace smiled gratefully at her and shook her head. “No spoilers, please.”


End file.
